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PlugFest brings entertainment lighting testing to mainland Europe

PlugFest, the technical event for entertainment lighting interoperability organised by PLASA, returns 26-28 February 2019, but this time in mainland Europe, allowing for more manufacturers, developers and technicians from across the continent to meet and test their products.
PlugFest is an opportunity for participants to collectively test and demonstrate device and system interoperability with the aim of improving reliability, resolving compatibility issues and ultimately improving connectivity between all entertainment lighting and related technologies.

Focusing on a wide array of protocols including DMX512, RDM, DALI, sACN, Art-Net, RDMnet and LLRP, the event’s expert hosts, Hamish Dumbreck (JESE Ltd), Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence) and Peter Willis (Howard Eaton Lighting) helped create and define many of the protocols relevant today and will be on hand for guidance and support. They will also host a series of workshops and break-out sessions during the event.

New for 2019 will be a presentation on the ESTA Entertainment Industry control protocol standards which have been in public review since the last PlugFest, with the revised drafts of the RDMnet standard being of particular interest to many previous participants. Attendees will also learn about the latest ESTA/ANSI standards which are expected to be released in early 2019.

Last year’s event welcomed major brands from entertainment lighting including Robert Juliat who described PlugFest as “a unique event to meet in a neutral environment, network with our peers, learn about technology and interact with experts.” Zero 88 commented that PlugFest is “an unparalleled opportunity for our developers to fix potential issues, before our customers find them” and TMB added that PlugFest is “an indispensable opportunity for techs and developers to broaden their knowledge.”

PlugFest 2019 is taking place in the city of Lille, France which is directly connected to London with the Eurostar, and all major European cities via a mainline train station. The residential element allows for networking and socialising to continue into the evening. There are a limited amount of discounted hotel rooms reserved for the event, so early booking is recommended. The organisers are arranging a van for UK participants to easily transport their equipment to the event, please contact PLASA for more information.